t.com www.GOALias.blogspot.com www.GOALias.blogspot.com

www.GOALias.blogspot.comRecent Developments in Indian Politics 189Gujarat riots show that the governmental machinery also becomessusceptible to sectarian passions. Instances, like in Gujarat, alertus to the dangers involved in using religious sentiments for politicalpurposes. This poses a threat to democratic politics.Emergence of a new consensusThe period after 1989 is seen sometimes as the period of decline ofCongress and rise of BJP. If you want to understand the complexnature of political competition in this period, you have to compare theelectoral performances of the Congress and the BJP.“My one messageto the Chief Minister [ofGujarat] is that he shouldfollow ‘raj dharma’. Aruler should not make anydiscrimination between hissubjects on the basis of caste,creed and religion.“Prime Minister Atal BehariVajpayee, Ahmedabad,4 April 2002.Now let us try to understand the meaning of the information given inthe figure. competition in this period. What is the difference between